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The Star Spangled Banner
Background In 1814, and during the War of 1812, the young American nation was fighting with Britain again only 38 years after the War for Independence in 1776. After destroying the Capitol and excited over their easy victory, the British headed north into Maryland. With them they took an elderly and well respected American physician, Dr. William Beanes. Dr. Beanes was accused being a spy and was arrested and imprisoned aboard the British ship Tonnant anchored in Baltimore harbor. The remaining population of Washington, D.C. worried that the doctor would be hanged and asked attorney, Francis Scott Key to help. On August 27th President Madison slipped back into what remained of Washington and gave Key permission to interevene. On September 3rd Key and sailed for Baltimore. They reached the Tonnant under a truce flag on the morning of the 7th and were taken prisoner as well. The men though imprisoned did have some success.. After defending Dr. Beanes by producing letters from wounded British prisoners who told how Dr. Beanes and other American physicians had treated their wounds, the British agreed to release the three men...after a few days. But the three men knew far too much of the British plans to attack and destroy Baltimore to be released before the attack. They were placed under guard aboard the H.M.S. Surprise.
An eerie silence fell across the early morning darkness and the young Baltimore attorney breathed a sigh of relief. It was after 1 A.M. on the morning of September 14, 1814 and it was the first time in more than 18 hours that things had been quiet. Since 7 A.M. of the previous day more than 1,800 bombs, cannonballs, rockets had lit the sky and shattered the peaceful harbor. From the deck of his ship behind the enemy fleet a young Baltimore attorney named Francis Scott Key breathed a sigh of relief. "Did you see it still there?" he may have asked his friend Dr. Beanes.
With his companions he strained his eyes towards the fort, willing them to pierce the darkness and find the red, white and blue banner still waving proudly over Fort McHenry. He waited for the rays of dawn to pierce the sky and reveal the sight that would signal the survival of his countrymen, perhaps indeed of his Country itself. Slowly the hours dragged on. Then, at 4 A.M. as daylight seemed near, he saw something……….
Dr. Beanes knew what Francis Scott Key was referring to. Both men had strained their eyes through the darkness of night for the last several hours to glimpse the American flag that flew from Fort McHenry. During daylight it was hard to miss, even at this distance. The flag was 30' high and 40' feet wide. But as darkness had fallen, the only time the flag could be seen was during those seconds when it was momentarily lit by bombs the enemy hurled at the small fort.
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
On Monday morning, September 13 the attack, that would ultimately last for 25 hours, began. Francis Scott Key and his two American friends were transferred to their ship behind the convoy of British warships. They could only watch helplessly from its ramparts, closely guarded by the same enemy that was simultaneously killing their countrymen.
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so Gallantly streaming….
As long as the two men and their third companion Colonel John Skinner could see the flag flying, they knew there was still hope that their Nation had survived.
And the rockets’ red glare The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night That our flag was still there.
His ship alone in the bay, Francis Scott Key looked fearfully towards the shoreline. A breeze began to move across the water's surface and the smoke of battle began to shift ever so slightly to reveal patches of blue sky. And then, in the distant blue there appeared new colors....red and white....brief glimpses of the two-feet wide stripes of the Star Spangled Banner. Then a star appeared in the daytime sky, then another....then fifteen stars in the daytime. What a welcomed site they were. Mr. Key's heart swelled with hope, and pride in the men who had so valiantly fought through the night to keep that flag flying. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew an envelope and began to write his thoughts
His ship alone in the bay, Francis Scott Key looked fearfully towards the shoreline. A breeze began to move across the water's surface and the smoke of battle began to shift ever so slightly to reveal patches of blue sky. And then, in the distant blue there appeared new colors....red and white....brief glimpses of the two-feet wide stripes of the Star Spangled Banner. Then a star appeared in the daytime sky, then another....then fifteen stars in the daytime. What a welcomed site they were. Mr. Key's heart swelled with hope, and pride in the men who had so valiantly fought through the night to keep that flag flying. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew an envelope and began to write his thoughts
O say can you see By the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars ; through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air Gave proof through the night, that our flag was still there O say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave
TEKS Correlation • Social Studies -5th Grade: §113.7 • 5.18 B Sing or recite The Star-Spangled Banner and explain its history
